Latest from the planners

We spoke to the case officer this morning to check progress. They say that they are awaiting the Employment Land Report, due on the week beginning 9th January 2011. They will then call a special meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee mid to late February to decide the fate of all the superstore applications.

Panorama on supermarkets tomorrow

The BBC Spotlight team was around Wadebridge today filming material to accompany Paul Kenyon's analysis of the impact of supermarkets for BBC1's Panorama programme tomorrow, Wednesday 22nd December, at 9.00 pm . Be interesting to see the debate we are having here in a wider context.

WREN launch on Saturday 22nd January

The benefits of the low carbon economy for jobs, local investment, and the environment are getting closer with the launch date for the Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network now set for Saturday 22nd January 2011 in Wadebridge Town Hall. Dan Rogerson, MP,  is giving his support, and there will be exhibitions, local and outside speakers, as well as the chance for households to see if they want to generate their own solar energy. So put that date in your diary, and see www.wren.uk.com for more details.

No news is still fairly good news

Still no word when the superstore planning applications will return for consideration. The fact that it is taking so long is helpful, as the policy and case law environment is, at last, shifting steadily towards protecting the vitality and viability of town centres. The levels of impact predicted in the official documents upon Wadebridge town centre by these out of town developments are off the scale, so the planners may be having second thoughts. However on past experience it would be very unwise to be too optimistic that sense will prevail. We will find out in the New Year. So enjoy the thriving town centre of Wadebridge while it is still there, and especially so tonight for late night shopping and carols in the Town Hall.

It's - The Vine

There they were today, Sunday afternoon, Dave, Chris, Pat, family and friends, putting on the second coat of paint in The Vine. The energy and determination were great to see. Opening ceremony at 10.00 a.m. next Wednesday 3rd November. It's all looking good for a very successful venture, and one that deserves strong and steady support.

End of Stokes, but the start of Chris and Dave's fruit and veg shop

What a great town! Dave and Chris and all the gang have been overwhelmed by all the support, sympathy and affection they have had from everyone. You reap what you sow in this life, and they have reaped this return on their great contribution to the town over the years. So Stokes is gone, but Dave and Chris look as if they have been successful in sorting out the lease and necessary backing, with help from the Chamber of Commerce and others of you with specialist knowledge. They hope to re-open next week, perhaps as early as Tuesday. We'll keep you posted, and when they do open make sure you congratulate them, strip the shelves, and remain loyal customers.

Partial Success

We are pleased to report that some key components seem to be falling off the Council/superstore bulldozer, in that the Strategic Planning Committee today deferred a decision on the out-of-town Wadebridge developments as they need "more information". A suspicious observer might point out that they do have a lot of information already, especially about the fatal effect of a 30% drop in custom for our everyday town centre shops, and could today have made a well-informed decision to refuse all three applications. This move does look a little like a tactical retreat in the face not of insufficient information, but of the wrong sort of information. But we must be optimistic about the probity of the process, and today's result is better than the intended one - approval of Sainsbury's and Tesco. You can be sure that we too will be offering further useful information ourselves to help things along.

Nowhere to hide!

The supermarket sites appear to have been deliberately located on high ground to maximize visual impact – the Sainsbury's store would be over 13m high, or equivalent to a 5 storey building.  It is felt that the visual impact alone would be unacceptable – there would not be many places in the town that you would not be able to see at least one of the stores from, especially at night as they tend to use a lot of outside lighting.  Planned tree lines stop short of the store frontages to ensure high visual impact (Mark Innes).

Danger to pedestrians

Traffic will increase considerably on Bodieve road if the football practise pitches are moved there. Particularly the danger to pedestrians using the very narrow footpath is an accident waiting to happen without encouraging many hundreds of youngsters to use it (Fiona Clark).  

I don't want to be based in another faceless town

Two-thirds of the allocated land will be carparking only - not making the most of good employment space. Apparently the three biggest employers in Wadebridge could fit into this carparking land, so there's a huge waste there.
Also, there's a huge opportunity cost of the type of jobs available - around 70% of the supermarket jobs are part time, minimum wage jobs. This doesn't compare to skilled jobs that have the potential to pay mortgages, boost the local economy etc. It's also likely that self checkouts will be introduced, which will cut out even more jobs. Another huge issue is the net job loss in the area, due to shops shutting, less trade so less need to hire staff etc.

Lastly, the effect that the supermarket will undoubtedly have on the community means that people may not want to stay or move to Wadebridge. Personally, I'm looking to buy a house in this area but I'm waiting to see the results of the supermarket issue, as I don't want to be based in another faceless town - I may as well be in a city that offers better job opportunities, as the reasons why I'm choosing to live in Wadebridge (lively community, great shops, quality of life, rural area etc) will be jeopardized (Harriet Henderson).

Bring real, mortgage compatible jobs

By approving the plans for supermarkets the planners would be responsible for the destruction of Wadebridge town centre. They would be sacrificing the Town of Wadebridge to pay for the mismanagement of the County's finances.

If the council were serious about the creation of jobs in the region they should insist that the company concerned should re-locate their IT department or marketing to bring real, mortgage compatible jobs to the region.

If the Sainsburys application were to be accepted Trenant Vale would have to be closed as it would be a dangerous Rat Run. It is very narrow, without any footpath and is a walking route for the school children and parents going up to the school. Any disturbance to the traffic flow on the Bodmin Road and Gonvena Hill instantly builds traffic flow to untenable levels.  A traffic monitor was placed on the Vale in school holidays after 12.00 pm on a Saturday and removed within hours. It is suspected that this could be used to tick an 'OK' box to indicate all is well! The residents will watch this space! (John Fitzpatrick-Ellis).

Look at what happened in Liskeard

This expansion of supermarket facilities will detract from the viability and vitality of Wadebridge town centre.  I believe that one very firm piece of evidence for this is what has happened elsewhere when supermarkets have been granted permission. I base my understanding of these issues on what I know about similar developments and their impact elsewhere in Cornwall.  For many years I lived in Liskeard, and traded in a small independent shop in the pedestrianised shopping street in that town.  Liskeard is a larger town than Wadebridge (more than double the population), and there is only one out of town supermarket there - Safeway now Morrisons, rather than the two that Wadebridge will have if the Planning Team's recommendations are accepted. 

The impact on Liskeard has been large – just have a look around it and you will see boarded up shops.  A greengrocer in the town confirmed that his turnover had halved since Morrisons opened. The proprietor of a small newsagents reported that her takings had plummeted since they opened, and felt that it was sheer greed on the part of the supermarkets.   I would guess that hers is a view commonly held by the people of Cornwall,  who think that there is more to life than profit .  

Supermarkets offer facilities that town centre shops cannot.  They offer free car parking on a flat and level site.  They appear to offer convenience and ease of shopping.  It is no contest, and the danger is that once the supermarkets are established,  the key shops start to disappear in a town.  Once this starts to happen there is less and less incentive for people to shop in the town because they cannot find the goods they need.  The effect is cumulative and is a downward spiral.  

We have a thriving and vibrant town here in Wadebridge, which is increasingly well known.  Cornwall is at last getting a reputation for the place to be, to live.  It is starting to be seen as a forward looking place. The reputation of Cornwall Council is on the line here, and they should consider how they would like to be judged in 20 years time.  Would they like to be remembered as the enlightened planning committee who did all they could to preserve the uniqueness of Wadebridge by refusing the supermarket applications?   Or would they like to be remembered for pushing Wadebridge toward a tipping point from which it could not recover? (Tony Faragher). 

Democratic figleaf

As a parish councillor for St Breock, I can relate the fact that the parish council unanimously rejected the Tesco application.
Planning law appears to be in favour of supermarkets who subject cash starpped councils to endless appeals in order to force through their applications - hence I feel the meeting last Thursday was a 'democratic figleaf', and this is just the latest example of Cornwall's gradual subjugation to big business (Simon Malloni).

Fighting a desperate battle

We are fighting a desperate battle to save the town we, and so many visitors, hold dear. I ask the question, why should this be necessary when logic, legality, common sense and emotion all combine to show that the creation of more out of town stores will destroy our beloved community? When right is so palpably on our side, but we have to strive so hard to convince our elected representatives and their cohorts that it is, I begin to wonder if there is not one or more agendas we are not being told about and, if there are such things, they should be dragged from under their stones kicking and screaming into the democratic light of day.

We live in what purports to be a democracy and it simply is not right that powerful commercial interests shoud be allowed to throw precious communities that have evolved over hundreds of years into the dustbin of history at the behest of a council which, for some reason, is refusing to listen to the people who elected them (Lawrence Gordon Clark).

Conflict of interest for Council

The planning officer has recommended the approval Sainsbury’s planning application. There is no denying the fact that there is an important conflict of interest for the Council.  The Council therefore needs not only to ensure that the reasons for its decision are open, honest and transparent, but also, like Caesar’s wife, it needs to demonstrate beyond any shadow of a doubt that this is the case.  There must be no suspicion that any decision is primarily financially driven.

In a number of important respects this application goes against the Council’s own planning guidelines.  Why do we have these guidelines, if they are to be ignored?

If the Council’s own policies are to be cast aside, we need to have the full reasons and justification for this exposed to public gaze. The Council’s Principal Design Officer also states that he is unable to support the Application.

Finally, there is a considerable level of dispute between the figures that the Applicant has put forward and the figures of some objectors.  These need to be examined robustly and their accuracy fully tested.  Both sides cannot be right.  We need to see hard evidence as to whose figures are correct.  After all, these figures are being used by the Applicant to justify their case.  We should not proceed without ensuring all information is accurate.  I do not believe this is currently the case (John Fairbanks).

Main points re out of town superstores

1. They destroy the heart of the town. They destroy small businesses and the jobs they provide and replace them with ill-paid part time work at a ratio of over two to one.

2. Their profits go back to their shareholders instead of recirculating in the local economy.

3. They bring in their foodstuffs from miles away at horrendous environmental cost and largely ignore the produce of our local farms.

4. They only serve people with cars. The old, the poor and the disabled and townspeople who don't want to drive will not be able to use them and will have to find what they can among the the hoodie patrolled wilderness of betting, charity shops and tourist traps that our beloved town centre will become (Lawrence Gordon Clark).

300% increase in local superstore space

Firstly, I find an increase of 300% in the local supply of superstore space to be unnecessary verging on the ridiculous. Secondly, but more importantly, the proposed out of town location is my main objection.  This siting will kill the centre of Wadebridge and the many small shopping villages around Wadebridge as it has done for Bodmin and St. Austell. Further, as an example, in St Kew Highway (where I reside), we have the benefit of a Costcutter, Post Office, hairdresser, pasty shop, surgery, dispensary, and a vehicle workshop, all of which revolve around, and on the site of, a fuel service station.  If the plans proposed go ahead there is no way that the independently owned service station can compete with the loss leader fuel policies of the supermarkets, two of which will be within two miles of St Kew Highway.  Lose the service station and we will lose all the other facilities. Another dead Cornish Village! (Francis Healing).

Unfairness of the planning process

Unfairness of the planning process, i.e. David against Goliath, in terms of resources available.  Also, all of the profits of the supermarkets are exported from Cornwall & not spent here (Duncan Burwood).

How strong is the democratic process?

Is the democratic process strong enough to overcome the financial clout of supermarkets and protect the livelihoods of town centre traders and the wishes of the local residents? If Cameron wants a Big Society there can only be one outcome for this sort of problem (Val Tomlinson).

Equality of opportunity

It is of serious importance to consider ‘equality of opportunity’ when thinking about who will be able to use a supermarket placed on the outskirts of the town. Those town dwellers without cars; who are aged; with little money to spare; who are  infirm, would be far less likely to be able to visit an out of town site.  A town centre site would be fairer, as more people would be able to get there more easily. This applies, for example, to the following groups of people - those in motorized wheel chairs who could independently access a town site; those who walk only with difficulty, and those for whom buses a non starter; and people on very restricted incomes for whom town shopping does not necessitate transport.  This would perhaps mean that dis-aggregation would have to be considered, but that that would be a small price to pay in a world where opportunity should be for all…. not just the able majority. Also, an in-town scheme would encourage people living out of the town to explore and utilize Wadebridge (Liz Cleves).

Danger of Wadebridge becoming "Clone Town"

There is a serious danger of Wadebridge becoming "Clone Town" if independent retailers and food outlets are forced out. Threat of closure faced by thriving village shops-cum-post offices in St Mabyn, St Tudy, Chapel Amble + farm shop at St Kew. Need to consider reducing food miles and encouraging more consumption of local, seasonal food. The pioneering work of Camel Community Supported Agriculture at St Kew Highway, a community food growing initiative with a weekly veg box scheme, could also be hit by additional supermarkets (Charlotte Barry).

Not a supermarket town!

Wadebridge sould remain a Market town not a supermarket town! (Janet Hulme).

Leaving Wadebridge to the wolves

As regards the football club, it strikes me that if they really need to provide a facility for, as it seems, the whole South West, then the funding ought to be provided centrally. I must admit, that my first reaction was why on earth does a town the size of Wadebridge require any more teams and facilities than it already has. In any event, it should have no connection with these applications. Indeed, to accept the bribery of the proposed funding offers, for a minority benefit, leaving Wadebridge to the wolves would be a travesty (David Oram).

Supermarkets on Cornish skylines

Wadebridge, like many towns in Cornwall, is very dependent on tourists. Call me a cynic but I don’t think that people spend hours traveling to Cornwall to look at supermarkets on Cornish skylines, which is the view they’d get approaching Wadebridge from any direction if Morrisons and Sainsburys open. Tesco already dominates the west side of the Camel, along with the appalling new Travelodge, and the horrendously conspicuous industrial units near by. The planners should ashamed at the siting and architecture that has been approved in the last few years. It’s arguable that the Camel Trail will always attract tourists, but many visiting for the first time come upon it by chance when they visit the town. With the town surrounded by supermarkets its highly unlikely tourists will be bothered to come in at all (Phillip Gough).

Dunstable closed down by similar developments

I have actually seen what happens when a town get surrounded by out-of-town supermarkets, I used to live in Dunstable, its now a shopping desert, boarded up shops, lots of charity shops, no greengrocer, butcher, fishmonger, ironmonger, they have all closed down. Therefore the health of shopping center was not protected (Graham Boaden).

Flood risk in Trenant Vale

The obvious increase in flooding, due to acres of tarmac, and traffic up and down Trenant Vale will make it extrmely unpleasant for us (being the nearest residential property) but, more to the point, extremely hazardous for the many children going to and from school using the footpath. As for the overall picture I am sure they will see sense and realise that Wadebridge does not need any of these ridiculous monstrosities (Rod Adams).

Only Sainsburys provided an Energy Statement

It proved quite enlightening.  There expected energy use would be 3.6 million kWh per year, which roughly equates to the electrical energy used by 37% of the houses in Wadebridge.  If you add in what Tesco currently use, plus that of the planned extension, then it is likely that these 2 stores alone would use about the same amount of energy as all of the dwellings in the town.  Bearing in mind future energy scarcity, and rising costs, would this be a wise move, especially when the existing Tesco is only particularly busy for very brief high-spots in the tourist season?  Bearing in mind the downturn in retail expenditure, how can it be justified to vastly increase retail floor area, with all that implies for energy consumption, when all the stores, existing and new, will be trading at a considerably thinned out level (Jerry Clark).

Very important meeting 7th October

We have just heard that Cornwall Council's Strategic Planning Committee is holding a public meeting at Wadebridge Town Hall at 6.00 pm Thursday 7th October to discuss all the superstore applications. This is the best remaining opportunity to let them know your views. Please do your very best to be there. Whether or not you want to speak, your presence will show that local people take this issue seriously. Our previous experience of discussing issues with the Council's Scrutiny Committee was very encouraging, as they did listen, and their recommendation blocked the planned disposal of the Higher Trenant offices.  So it is certainly worth turning out. We look forward to seeing you at the Town Hall next Thursday.

Why we fear superstores could turn Wadebridge into a characterless Clone Town

Chain stores are sucking the identity out of our towns, some interesting new research reveals.

A new study into diversity on the high street places three south-west places in the top ten of the worst Clone Towns.

The New Economics Foundation accuses chain stores of being fair weather friends because they don't support the local economy in the way that local retailers do during a recession.

In the think tank's 2009 study Exeter is joint second Clone Town along with Reading. St Austell is number eight in the list, while Penzance is number ten.

Exeter came top in the Clone Town league table in 2005. It's now lost the dubious honour of "King Clone" to Cambridge, where only nine varieties of shop were found last year.

At the other end of the scale in the Home Town top ten, Torrington in North Devon is number four, with a score of 85.6 for identity and diversity. Crediton is fifth and Newlyn is ninth.

Reimagining The High Street - Clone Town Britain 2010: High street diversity still on endangered list - New Economics Foundation

Come to Wadebridge folk festival over holiday weekend

Live music, street entertainment, children's festival, daily ceilidhs, craft fair, local food and beer...

It's all happening at Wadebridge Folk Festival 2010 in north Cornwall this holiday weekend August 27-30.

Headliners include Martin Simpson & Dave Swarbrick (left), who are touring together for the first time in 14 years, the legendary Andy Irvine, and multi-instrumentalist Dogan Mehmet & The Deerhunters.

Find all the information you need about artists, events, food, drink and accommodation here at Wadebridge Folk Festival 2010. You can also follow the Wadebridge Folk Festival on Twitter

Street entertainment in Wadebridge this Saturday

Tom and Jord

Wadebridge town centre comes alive this Saturday 21 August with circus performers and musicians.

Entertainers include comedy juggling duo Haggis and Charlie and world-famous human statue Diony Robo. They're appearing alongside Padstow singer Toby Lobb of Loveridge, Cornish samba band Los Samba, and local musicians Tom and Jord (pictured), as well as singer Pete Ciemo and friends.

The Magic Roundabout, a replica hand-driven Victorian merry-go-round, will entertain children on The Piazza on Saturday 4 September.

The three-week programme, on Saturdays 21 August, 28 August and 4 September, takes place on The Platt and in Molesworth Street from 11am onwards.

It's raising funds for the Children's Hospice South West Precious Lives appeal for its third hospice - Little Harbour at St Austell.

Mary Murfin, Community Fundraiser for Children’s Hospice South West, said: “Wadebridge will be coming alive with street entertainment for all to enjoy. At Children’s Hospice South West we are all about raising a smile to make the most of short and precious lives. I can’t think of a more vibrant and fun way to help us build our new hospice, Little Harbour, in Cornwall.”

When we asked friends of Lovewadebridge.com what they thought would improve the town centre, a popular suggestion was top-quality street entertainment. If the town likes what it sees, this could become a regular feature of the Wadebridge weekend.

If you have comments on what you see or ideas for future entertainment, please send them to busking@lovewadebridge.com

Dormice 1: Morrison's 0

Picture: David Chapman Wildlife Photography

The Wadebridge Town Football Cub planning application to relocate to a new site at Bodieve has been deferred.

This has had the knock-on effect of delaying the Morrison's superstore proposal. The company wants to build on the existing football ground and is paying for the club to move to a new site outside the town's development boundary.

The decision's been deferred for two reasons:

• To await the results of the dormouse survey

AND

• To await new data from the environmental health officer who has raised last-minute concerns about noise impact on the adjoining caravan park and nearby homes at Bodieve.

So we should be hugging her as well as the dormice!

The environmental health officer’s concerns were contained in a last-minute addendum to the agenda papers which were only made available to councillors at the meeting. 

Planning officer Gavin Smith recommended that the application be deferred for a thorough acoustic analysis of the situation in the absence of “robust” data from environmental health. “The environmental health officer has noise concerns fringing on an objection. We need a proper assessment of this serious matter,” he said.

Councillors agreed. The meeting of the East sub-area planning committee of Cornwall Council on 12 August also heard that the applicant’s agent was prepared to accept the delay.

Dormouse obstructing Morrison's development

The Planning Officer has recommended refusal of the application to move the Wadebridge Town Football Club ground and training pitches as:

"There is a reasonable likelihood that dormice are present on the application site and the applicant has failed to establish the extent to which the proposal will impact upon this European Protected Species."

This means that Morrisons' application should be delayed until the dormouse question has been resolved, probably later in the year. However the decision on what should be done, and whether the planning officer's recommendation should be followed, will be made at the East Sub-area Planning Committee meeting at the Council Offices, Camelford, at 5.00 pm on Thursday 12th August 2010.

Further insights on this blog, and this one.

Lewis Carroll anticipated this situation in Alice in Wonderland:
"The Dormouse: You've got no right to grow here.
Alice: Don't talk nonsense. You know you're growing too.
The Dormouse: Yes, but I grow at a reasonable pace, not in that ridiculous fashion."

Wadebridge Street Entertainment Programme

The street entertainment programme will be launched on Saturday 21st August, and will include a variety of musicians and other surprises, including Haggis and Charlie, who have wowed audiences around the world with their award-winning action packed mixture of humour, daring and charm. The show features such feats of juggling and stupidity that it should really carry a health warning. "It's not just the comedy and skill which makes this show so endearing, it’s the complete clash of personalities.” (If you have suggestions for future entertainers, please email busking@lovewadebridge.com)

Make sure the planners know what you want!

We have had reports that one or two of your letters may be getting into the wrong pile. If you have had a reply from the planning department, take a careful look at the line under the Applicants name. It will say "I acknowledge receipt of your letter, your" - and the next word will be 'support', 'objection' or 'comment'. Just ensure it says what it should, and let the planning department know if it doesn't. I doubt there is anything deliberate going on there, just the pressure of work leading to the odd error. To make it easier for them, please make sure you include one of the words - object/support/comment - as applicable to your letter. To remove any ambiguity, 'support' implies you want the supermarket, 'object' implies you don't want it.

Planning Applications Update

We have contacted the planning officer in charge of the supermarket applications, and he says we have until at least mid-July to submit comments/objections. We already have advice concerning the Morrisons applications on our website (http://bit.ly/dBj0Mb), and we will have the Sainsburys suggestions on there shortly (we are awaiting comments from Stephen Gill, our planning consultant, who has been away for a bit). Obviously, the sooner we get letters in the better, but there is still plenty of time. The application number for Sainsburys is 2010/00702 and there is no sign of the Tesco expansion application yet.

Some thoughts about anonymity

It is good to read some responses, as otherwise it would be pointless to write this stuff. One theme in the responses has been the suggestion that our motivation is "anti-supermarket". For myself I have no stronger feelings about supermarkets than I have about filling stations, television, motorways or other normal attributes of life, and being "anti-supermarket" makes no more sense to me that being "anti-television". It is more a matter of when, where, how much and whether other desirable activities cease. The issue for me is therefore part of a larger question of what is good for the local economy and quality of life. I do think that a very large presence of out-of-town retail outlets would not be best for a small town like ours as the disadvantages seem to outweigh the advantages. Others may feel that the impact upon the town is a price worth paying. That is a completely reasonable view, and one worth debating in terms of a number of predictable consequences - benefits and disadvantages.
But I am unsure that this is the best medium for understanding each other's point of view. Anonymity is necessary where someone may feel that their views could cause them personal harm or discomfort, but here we are simply neighbours trying to work out what is best for the town. The tone of anonymous responses can be harsh and dismissive in ways that would not arise in an ordinary conversation. I can't be sure, but if we were to discuss these and other issues over a cup of tea or a beer, I should be surprised if we differed that much on most issues. So my suggestion is that we do just that. A number of us write on this blog, but this is Stephen (Frankel). I should be delighted if those who have responded would email or ring (07879-816020) to find a time to meet up either at my place or in town.

Some positive developments

A good meeting at the Chamber of Commerce yesterday, with some positive ideas for the short and the long term.

As for the short term, amongst the ideas that our friends have offered to strengthen the town centre is a programme of high quality street entertainment, a sort of mini-Covent Garden - folk, classical, opera, mime, circus, comedy etc. The idea was discussed with the business community and police yesterday, and given the thumbs up. Mike Walford, who runs the Wadebridge Folk Festival is willing to coordinate the programme. He is rather overwhelmed at the moment with the coming Festival, so any help and ideas would be very very welcome. We thought we would start with slots on Fridays and Saturdays, and aim to begin in mid-July.

For the longer term, the other good news is that the Wadebridge Town Plan is to be updated to take stock of what has changed since 2004, and reach a consensus on what would be the best path for a sound future. We gather that Lovewadebridge will be invited to contribute to this process. That will give another avenue for our friends to have input into discussions about what sort of future townspeople seek, and how best to bring that about.

Energy black hole gets deeper

On reading the Sainsburys energy statement in more detail, it is apparent that they have not included what they call 'process loads' in their final energy consumption figure. When you add in the energy used for refrigeration and the bakery, the figure doubles to 3500 MWh per year. This equates to about 40% of the energy used by all the homes in Wadebridge. Think about what that means if you add in the energy used by Tesco, including their expansion plans, and the proposed Morrisons (who, to my knowledge, have not supplied an energy statement).

Off to see the St Kew solar plans

Off to hear about the proposed 2 mW solar facility at St Kew and learn more about the practicalities, aesthetics and economics of such a large installation. Rural installations will allow economies of scale, but will have the disadvantage of taking land out of agriculture. Their appearance in the countryside may well trouble people too. Using roof-tops, like the Co-op's, gets over the aesthetic problem as people wouldn't see the panels unless they were interested enough to look up. But the installation costs would be greater. We shall see.

Slightly better effort

Morrisons did a bit better with their 'Sequential test', they identified 10 possible sites in or near the town centre, but they still missed the most suitable one - a site of nearly a hectare that is designated in NCDC's Retail Survey as an 'Opportunity Site'. I guess they just don't want to be in the town centre!

Must try harder

Sainsburys don't appear to have put much effort into the 'Sequential Test' for their planning submission. They are supposed to identify possible sites in the town centre that could be developed, and then tell us why they aren't suitable. Of the 3 sites they identified, one of them is the fire station - don't know as yet why they rejected that one - I'll let you know when I do. By the way, we identified 10 possible sites.

Hopeful developments

Lovewadebridge was greatly encouraged by Cornwall Council's recent "Renewable and Low Carbon Energy in Cornwall" conference at the Eden Project. Things are looking very hopeful for a substantial renewable energy programme in Wadebridge that will bring investment, substantial funds for local projects, and jobs. If you have a particular interest or specialist expertise in this area please do get in touch.

Sainsburys projected turnover

In their Retail Assessment, Sainsbury's say they are expecting a turnover of £26 million a year - that's £3800 for every person in Wadebridge. That assumes a family of 4 will spend £300 per week in Sainsburys alone!

Energy Black Hole

Got to share this with you - the Sainsbury's energy statement says that they expect to use about 1.8 million kWh of power per year in their proposed Wadebridge store - that's about 260kWh for every man, woman and child in Wadebridge. Compared with our home use, Sainsbury's will be using 22 times as much as us per square foot (yes, I'm a bit of a numbers geek).
They do go on to tell us how they will generate 15% of this from renewables - well that's alright then!

Sainsburys Plans Available

The plans for the Sainsburys development are now available to download:
http://bit.ly/cBOoFa
Don't get too bogged down - there is a lot of it. We are in the process of preparing the relevant sections for our planning consultant.

Sainsburys Website

Sainsburys have created a dedicated website to show us just what is on offer in Wadebridge:
http://bit.ly/9jyXCG
They tell us how good it will be for Wadebridge and how many meaningful jobs it will create, while neglecting to mention jobs that will be lost elsewhere.

Yellow site notices

The yellow site notices are now up for the Morrisons applications, so we have until the 28th June to lodge any objections with the planning department.

Planning

Well argued letters from individual members of the public do have a powerful impact upon the outcome of the planning process. We have therefore added some pointers to the sorts of issues that are seen as "material considerations" in the planning process to the website at:

http://bit.ly/dBj0Mb

If you do want to comment on Morrisons plans you might find that helpful.

Successful Meeting

About 140 people attended a very constructive meeting, and excellent to fill the Town Hall again. As always the atmosphere was calm and rational, and again the near unanimous outcome was that not only should we contest developments that would harm the town centre and local economy, but that we can expect to succeed in doing so.
If you were there, I am sure you will agree that Jeremy Rowe handled the event impeccably, and that Stephen Gill gave us the insights into the planning system and the specific areas that we need to address if we are to be effective.

Public meeting - TODAY

Please come along to the public meeting TODAY at 6.00 pm Thursday 3 June in Wadebridge Town Hall.

Come to the public meeting

This is just to remind you that the most important thing you can do for the campaign at the moment is to come along to the Wadebridge Town Hall meeting at 6.00 pm Thursday 3 June.

A good turn-out will be all important to make it very clear that we cannot be bull-dozed into passivity and resignation by the supermarkets' public relations machines.

Our planning consultant, Stephen Gill, has now had a chance to look through some of the key material, and will be able to give us an informed assessment of the possible impact of these developments on the town, and how they fit into the planning process.

We look forward very much to seeing you all tomorrow for what will be a very important meeting.

Our ideas for keeping the heart in Wadebridge

Some comments made on this blog have suggested quite wrongly that LOVEWADEBRIDGE.COM is a purely anti-supermarket campaign.

It's true that our most immediate concern is that new out-of-town developments would take the heart out of our market town. But our long-term interests are much wider than this.

We're committed to ensuring that Wadebridge thrives as a centre for local business and employment. We seek developments that will enhance its prosperity and vitality for future generations. At the same time we'll resist those that may damage the town's character, economy and quality of life.

We believe that local residents and businesses, not outside corporations, should make the key decisions on how our town should best be developed.

We wish to support and collaborate with key bodies in Wadebridge to help attract investment to the town and area while protecting the exceptional quality of life.

Friends of LOVEWADEBRIDGE.COM have suggested a number of initiatives that can build on the town's unusually favourable characteristics. These can be listed under two heads - strengthening the town centre and encouraging high end employment.

Town centre ideas include:
- A shop local loyalty card scheme
- Promoting the town's independent retailers, plus local food and goods
- Improved access, including additional parking
- Outdoor markets
- Street entertainment

High end employment ideas include: -
- eco-tourism
- (Silicon) Camel Valley
- Low-carbon economy
- Creative industries

You can find more information about these initiatives to keep the heart in Wadebridge on our main website at LoveWadebridge.com

Download the lovewadebridge.com poster

We've been very busy over the weekend putting up posters for the public meeting this Thursday 3 June at 6pm in Wadebridge Town Hall.

If you'd like to put up a poster yourself you can download one here.

Please tell everyone you know about the meeting.

Planning expert Stephen Gill will be there to advise us on future strategy. Mr Gill is the former director of planning and development at West Devon Borough Council.

Last year he helped a protest group like ours fight off a similar proposal for an out-of-town Sainsbury's superstore in Tavistock.

On Atlantic FM

In Stephen's absence, Jerry has just been interviewed for Atlantic FM to be broadcast sometime over the weekend. The gist of the conversation was about the three pronged attack by the supermarkets, what we are doing about it, and the meeting next Thursday.

Funny business at Cornwall Council

All very confusing. 3000 people sign a petition asking Cornwall Council not to help an out-of-town Sainsbury's come to Wadebridge, and now the Council announces that they it is doing just that. And it seems that, like us, the first some Cornwall Councillors heard about the decision was via a press release. Also odd that the rumoured inflated price that has been offered depends on Cornwall Council giving Sainsbury's planning permission, when the planning rules suggest that such developments should no longer be allowed. Looks like some possible tension between the Council's left hand and right hand here.

Come to the public meeting - Thursday 3rd June 6 pm, Wadebridge Town Hall

There will another public meeting at Wadebridge Town Hall at 6.00 pm on Thursday 3^rd June to discuss the supermarkets’ plans. The meeting will be chaired by Councillor Jeremy Rowe.

At our last public meeting there was overwhelming opposition to more out-of-town supermarkets coming to Wadebridge. At this meeting we will discuss in more detail how to protect the town. We want people to come along to hear what we face and what we can do about it. The planning applications run into thousands of pages and most people won’t take the time to read them. So our planning consultant will present them to us and so that we can have an informed discussion of their implications.

We have commissioned Stephen Gill, a leading chartered planning consultant, to guide and advise us. Mr. Gill is the former director of planning and development at West Devon Borough Council. Last year he successfully helped fight off a similar proposal for an out-of-town Sainsbury's superstore in Tavistock. Some people feel that these companies are so powerful that at least one of them will succeed in coming. But the tide has turned in national planning policy so that Wadebridge is now able to protect itself from the negative impact of the out-of-town superstores on the town centre.

Wadebridge Store Wars - the movie?

If this was a film about a small town under siege from commercial giants you'd say that the writers had got rather carried away and that the script just wasn't plausible. But it's true. We now have a pincer movement from THREE huge out-of-town superstore developments. Tesco too has announced its plans to add some 20,000 square feet to its store. So we can now look forward to over 75,000 square feet of new out-of-town retail space, over 10 square feet per man, woman, child and dog in the town. Fortunately the tide has turned in the planning rules so that it really is possible to stop developments like this now, and we are determined to do so.

500 Friends

We now have over 500 households who have formally signed up as friends of the lovewadebridge campaign, which is a larger level of support than Tavistock had when they fought off Sainsbury's. We mustn't be complacent, however, and if you all can persuade more friends to sign up, then so much the better.

Morrisons have applied!

The planning application for Morrisons in Wadebridge has today been received by the planning department.

Still waiting for those planning applications to arrive, but in the mean-time plenty to do. We’ve been taking an interest in updating the town plan - here’s the link to the 2004 version – and looking at ways to invigorate the town centre whatever comes along. Possibilities include the shop local loyalty scheme, the campaign to highlight the strength of Wadebridge’s independent sector locally and nationally (“declare independence”, “take these chains off your shopping” etc), free parking scheme for independent trading, Covent Garden type atmosphere in Molesworth Street with street entertainers, as well as a local and national reputation as an eco-shopping town.

Tesco now joining the party

So Tesco has snuck under the radar and has planning permission to expand its store to offer the full range of everything nearly every independent shop in Wadebridge sells. If we could have all these developments without risking what gives the town its life, there would be no need to fuss. We could invite a few more superstores than those already queuing up to join the party. But at some point these expanded out-of-town retail developments will obviously knock the heart out of the town centre. It is as inevitable as night follows day that they will do to Wadebridge what they have done to every other market town. Others say that we aren’t like other places, and so can absorb much more than they can. But are the benefits of out-of-town superstores worth the risk of being turned into the sort of hollowed-out town that most others have become?

Lovewadebridge isn’t behaving like a rabbit in the headlights as these developments roll down the track. It is important to accentuate the positive and make Wadebridge more resilient whatever comes along. For example we are working with others to establish free parking for all town centre shopping, developing a buy local loyalty discount scheme, and exploring opportunities for sustainable employment in the town. So while we are watching supermarket developments very closely, it is also crucial to focus on the bigger picture. We are giving as much attention to what we do want as to preventing what would be harmful. We need as much input as possible to make sure these ideas have as wide support as possible.

In case you had not heard, this is to say that the Cornwall Council Cabinet this morning felt unable to rush ahead with its plan to dispose of the Higher Trenant site. Thank you to those of you who made it into Truro, and to all the pressure that you have all collectively applied to force some semblance of sense to prevail for now. However they did not comply with all the Scrutiny Committee's recommendations in full, in that they have declared the Higher Trenant land next to the building surplus to requirements. This decision means that they are foreclosing their review's option of expansion for Higher Trenant, and that they are possibly opening the way for an early sale for an out-of-town supermarket.

This outcome makes it all the more urgent for us to expand our number of friends of lovewadebridge, thus adding weight to our campaign. You can join our friends by emailing your details to friends@lovewadebridge.com, or via our website at www.lovewadebridge.com/Friends.html

So in summary, this is definitely progress, but we must strengthen our campaign in preparation for the next phase. Again thank you for your support. We can only do this together.

Cabinet Meeting to determine the future of Higher Trenant offices Wednesday 10th February

Cornwall Council are to hold a public cabinet meeting to determine the future of the Higher Trenant council offices at County Hall, Truro on Wednesday 10th February at 10am.

http://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=577

The current proposal for the Higher Trenant Offices is to sell them and put the proceeds towards building a new office complex 5 miles down the road in Bodmin. It is believed that the council has had an offer of £10,000,000 from Sainsbury's for the site and this money would go towards the conservative £12,500,000 estimated for the build of the new Bodmin offices. It leaves a large shortfall and would not appear to make good financial sense.
The Scrutiny committee advising the Cabinet, publicly met last Wednesday where they unanimously concluded that the Cabinet should not proceed with the sale of Higher Trenant and they should include the site in their wider review of office needs, and also consider a full refurbishment and even expansion on the existing site.
The cabinet meeting is open to the public and questions can be put forward in writing (letter or email) but must be received no later than Midday on Monday 8th February to the head of legal and democratic services. Stephen Frankel of Lovewadebridge has put his question to the Cabinet,

What is the reason for separating out the Higher Trenant site for early disposal before Cornwall Council's review of the appropriate long term disposition of office space has been completed?

Good question!
I look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday at County Hall, please see the events section for directions.

Brief review of last Thursdays council meeting

Thanks to those of you who managed to get to Camelford last night. Reasoned argument is finally having an impact, and the Scrutiny Committee agreed with us.

The Scrutiny Committee recommended that the Cabinet should not proceed with the sale of Higher Trenant, should include the site in their wider review of office needs, and should consider a full refurbishment and even expansion on the site.

Cornwall Council building sell-off plan criticised Sainsbury's

Some people are concerned about the impact of another supermarket

Plans by Cornwall Council's cabinet to sell off offices outside of a programme reviewing all its buildings should not go ahead, a scrutiny committee says.

The cabinet was investigating selling off the offices at the Higher Trenant in Wadebridge and Sainsbury's supermarket had expressed interest.

Residents have previously raised concerns about the impact on the town if such a deal went ahead.

The cabinet will consider the committee's recommendation next week.

The 10-member cabinet had asked officials to investigate the possibility of selling off the former North Cornwall District Council offices outside of a more wide-ranging strategic review of all the council's property portfolio of about 70 buildings.

But, at a meeting on Thursday evening, the scrutiny committee called for the 20-year-old office complex to be included in the review and not sold off separately.

Sainsbury's said about 300 jobs would be created if the deal for the eight-acre site, which could be up to £10m, went through.

The council had said no decisions had been made, but admitted Sainsbury's was interested.

Welcome to the lovewadebridge blog

We've created this page to inform you of what's happening regarding the two new supermarket proposals and hopefully encourage a healthy debate within our online local community.

To bring you up to speed on the developments so far, both Sainsbury's and Morrisons have put forward proposals to build two new large supermarkets on the outskirts of Wadebridge. Sainsbury's have shown an interest in the council offices on the Higher Trenant site and Morrisons nearby on the current site of the Wadebridge FC.

Lovewadebridge was formed as part of a local effort to protect the health and well-being of the town centre, as well as to attract sustainable employment. We are not an anti-supermarket campaign group, but are very concerned on the impact that an out of town supermarket would have on our community.

Please follow this blog if you share our concerns and feel free to express your own opinions in response to our regular posts.